The advent of mobile devices has revolutionized the way in which healthcare professionals study and learn. It is common for apps to take advantage of multiple forms of media in order to improve understanding and consequently, learning.

One such area that has shown signs of expansion is related to video lectures, which a number of apps such as Warwick Medical School’s anatomy and Robert Whitakers Instant Anatomy have taken advantage of. Dr. Najeeb has built a business around this medium and has over 400 hours of concept orientated video lectures available for medical students and healthcare professionals.

He recently released a free app that allows access to thirty hours of his lectures.

The lectures included within the app are picked from a broad range of disciplines including cardiology, urinary, neurology and immunology amongst others. All the lectures presented are at a level equivalent to USMLE Step 1 and designed to improve the core understanding of a topic. The lectures themselves are hosted on youtube and so an internet connection is necessary in order to view these videos.

The length of each video ranges from approximately five minutes to over an hour although the average is about ten minutes. Dr. Najeeb lectures is a universal app although it is best viewed on the iPad (rather than the iPhone which is shown here).

Dr. Najeeb himself is a good lecturer who emphasizes the key points in each topic. As he narrates, he uses a whiteboard to good effect to assist those who are visual learners. The content is easy to understand and at the level of USMLE Step 1. Those who are preparing for this exam may find the way Dr. Najeeb breaks down complex topics particularly useful.

However there are a number of limitations; unfortunately it is often quite challenging to read the whiteboard for a number of reasons:

The camera is usually zoomed out in order to accommodate Dr.Najeeb to the point where it is difficult to see the small writing

The use of colours such as green and red board marker are challenging to see against the white background

As Dr. Najeeb writes on the whiteboard by hand, it is often difficult to decipher his writing.

The result of this is that it requires a lot of concentration to focus on the content being drawn and discussed. Dr. Najeeb often uses analogies to try to develop understanding however this sometimes further complicates the matter.

In addition to the videos, the application also includes the option to subscribe to Dr. Najeeb’s YouTube channel, his Facebook page, his website and finally there is an option to contact him.

Price:

The universal app is free

Likes:

Dr. Najeeb is a good lecturer who breaks down key USMLE topics into straightforward terms

The videos are detailed enough for USMLE Step 1 and some are short enough to be watched in a short break.

Dislikes/Future Updates I’d like to see:

The detail on the whiteboard is crucial for visual understanding so these videos could be significantly improved if there was a permanent zoomed in view on the whiteboard/a slideshow which Dr.Najeeb narrated over (ala Robert Whitaker in Instant Anatomy)

Overall Rating:

The use of video lectures to supplement medical learning is only set to develop and this is a fine attempt

The quality of the content is first class, however there are a number of improvements that could be made to significantly improve understanding whilst watching the videos.

As a result, he has spent years developing a proven program that will not onlyhelp you achieve higher grades in your examinations, but will also place solid foundations for your on-going medical education.

This program consists of a series of video lectures that explain in detail andhelp you visualize complex medical concepts, through use of thousands of hand drawn diagrams.

These videos are interactive and fun to watch, so that you don’t have to spend hours memorizing!

Unfortunately I couldn’t find a way to speed up the playback. I generally found the best way to utilise this resource was to put it on in the background whilst looking over a particular topic. This may not work for everyone but it does mean that when Dr Najeeb starts talking about an area that you are weak on, you can pay attention to that particular section.

iMedicalApps is an independent online medical publication for medical professionals, patients, and analysts interested in mobile medical technology and health care apps. Our physician editors lead a team of physicians, allied health professionals, medical trainees, and mHealth analysts in providing reviews, research, and commentary of mobile medical technology. Our publication is heavily based on our own experiences in the hospital and clinic setting.

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